“Did you check Ms. George’s references?”
“She doesn’t have references. We’re her first position.”
“What the—”
“Cade, let me finish.”
His Alpha snapped his mouth shut and glared.
“Thank you. Now. I had three weeks to find a nanny.” Cade started to say something. Michael cut him off – not a smart thing to do to your Alpha, but he was pretty pissed off himself. “That’s not an excuse. It’s an explanation. The woman at PPC who handled our application said the process normally takes three, four months, maybe longer. Most families start looking before the kid’s born. I explained this was something of a surprise and we were in a hurry. Then I learned something else.” He sighed again, knowing Cade wasn’t going to like what he heard. “Turns out, believe it or not, an isolated ranch with fifteen wolves and no other females is not real high on your average nanny’s list of dream jobs.”
“What? You’re telling me werewolf families don’t hire nannies? That’s bullshit! I know—”
“You didn’t listen to what I said!” They were shouting again. They each grunted and looked away, taking a breather. The office was sound proofed to werewolf standards, as were all the bedrooms in the main part of the house. But there was no system for confining aggression pheromones to one room, and the rest of the Pack didn’t need to know the Alpha and his second were bitching like women.
“Yes, Cade, of course werewolf families hire nannies. PPC places nannies for plenty of wolves in other states. Most of those families have mommies, though. And when it’s a single dad, he lives in a normal house, with just his kids. In a city. Where the nanny would be around other humans, with places to go and things to do. They’re not single werewolf daddies out in the country, where the nanny would have to drive thirty minutes into town just to take the kid to a park or grab a cup of coffee, and their Packs don’t live with them.”
Cade’s mouth was a tight, flat line as he digested this. “I hadn’t thought about it that way.”
“Me neither, but it makes sense. Females need to be around other people. And, you know, stores, and shit like that.”
“So Celine was our only choice? Why? She have a thing for wolves?”
“Christ, Cade, I don’t know if she’s a fur banger. I didn’t really know how to ask that in the interview. Her grandfather has a place outside Durango, she grew up around horses and likes the country. And she doesn’t have any experience, so she can’t be picky like the experienced ones can be. We had two choices – young and inexperienced, or old and ready to retire. I interviewed another one a little bit older than Celine, and she was obviously – and I mean obviously – into wolves.”
She wasn’t as hot as Celine, but that wouldn’t have mattered. The guys would’ve still been all over her. Celine, at least, dressed conservatively, had beautiful manners, was close to her family and spent twelve years in an all girls’ Catholic school.
Cade raised an eyebrow. “Catholic school?”
Michael shrugged. “It could mean she’s really, really good.”
“Or really, really bad.”
“Yeah, well, we just have to hope it’s really, really good.”
“So those were our only choices?”
“No.” Michael stretched and shifted in his seat. “I also talked to two ladies who were older than Becca’s grandmother. One of them seemed sweet as hell but I’d have worried she was gonna break a hip every time she climbed the stairs. The other one scared the shit out of me.”
“Wait. What?”
“Seriously. Remember Sgt. Scott?” He was one of their Ranger Instructors at Ft. Benning.
Cade grinned. “Reminded you of him?”
“For a minute, I thought it was him.” And Sgt. Scott was a werewolf.
They both shuddered. Cade laughed. Michael was surprised at how relieved he was to see that. He didn’t like seeing his Alpha so stressed out. It meant he – Michael – wasn’t doing his job.
Lacing his fingers behind his head, Cade closed his eyes and leaned way back in the old leather swivel chair. “So she was the best of limited options.”
“Very limited.”
“She seems nice. Good family.”
“She’s got six younger brothers and sisters.”
“Oh, yeah, I know. She told me all about her family and her training and Chicago and Durango and I barely got a word in.”
Now Michael laughed. “Yeah, well, when Rebecca’s that age, she’ll talk without breathing too.”
“Maybe, but she won’t be turned loose on a ranch full of single werewolves.”
They both shuddered again.
“I’ve already made sure everyone knows the nanny’s off limits,” said Michael.
“Completely.”
“Absolutely.”
“All right. I guess we have to give her a chance.”
****
“What about this one? Is it too tight?”
Seated beside him in the back of the small shop, Felipe quit breathing. Cade would’ve laughed at the pup, but his own groin was tightening. Determined not to let anyone see his swelling dick, he yawned and crossed his legs just before Celine turned her head to look at them.
“No,” he replied, coughing to cover up the hitch in his voice. He heard the older saleswoman’s muffled snigger from the sales counter a few feet away. “No. I mean, I don’t-- no. Not too tight. It’s fine.”
Celine stared at the three way mirror, twisting and turning on the four inch heels so she could inspect herself from every possible angle. She smoothed out invisible panty lines (Holy fuck, is she even wearing panties? Or a bra? The dress looks painted on. Wait. If she’s not wearing a bra, then – fuck. Twenty-two year old tits. Pneumatic.) and ran her hands down her sides and over her hips, giving a little wiggle as she stared at herself with lips pursed and head (and hips) cocked.
The sky blue dress matched her eyes. As for the tightness, if Cade hadn’t known her, he would’ve heartily approved. As it was, he just couldn’t ogle his child’s nanny, who was, after all, nearly half his age. He’d never thought twice about chasing anything over eighteen. But that was before he had a daughter. And turned forty.
He felt every one of his forty years, even though he’d look about thirty till he was in his seventies.
“Okay!” Celine chirped abruptly. He and Felipe both jumped. “Just one more!” She disappeared into the dressing room again.
He’d mentioned to Felipe that he’d be heading into town to get some business done. The young beta had asked for a lift because he had a doctor’s appointment. He’d also mentioned that Celine needed to shop for a dress for a friend’s wedding. Cade offered to take her along as well; he was pleased she’d made so many friends in Fremont. Apparently those friends included Felipe. The two of them talked nonstop all the way into town. That suited Cade, who found the luscious, slightly silly blonde’s nonstop chatter annoying.
He’d dropped them off, finished his business at the bank and the two bars he owned, and met up with them here, where he and Felipe got roped into the style show.
“Felipe, is there something you want to tell me?”
“Huh? What?” The pup had been staring at another young woman, not quite as gorgeous as Celine but very pretty, trying on a dress with a back that plunged to her ass. “No, I mean-- what?”
“Son, look at me.” When he had his attention, Cade continued, “You and Celine. Anything I need to know about?”
The kid’s kids eyes widened. “No!”
“I’m not gonna eat you, unless you lie to me. You two got anything going on?”
“Cade, I swear – we’re just friends! All we do is talk. And, you know – ay. That female can talk.”
Cade laughed. “My grandfather would’ve said she was vaccinated with a phonograph needle.”
“A what?”
Cade sighed.
Celine reappeared, this time in a strapless number. It wasn’t as tight as the blue dress, though i
t hugged her pneumatic tits lovingly, and it featured a flouncy little skirt. Cade groaned to himself. Not another ten minutes while they – yep, she was gonna do some twirling. That skirt was…Jesus. Is she gonna wear that in a church?
She frowned angelically. “The skirt’s a little short for a wedding, isn’t it?”
“Like, for a church? Yeah,” said Felipe. “My mom would have a fit if she saw a girl wearing that in church.”
“Yeah. I don’t really know these people – don’t want them thinking I’m a slut or something. Okay. Well, I think I’m done. I’m gonna go get dressed.”
“Thank God,” Cade muttered.
Celine was a sweet girl, and she did a great job. She got along well with everyone on the ranch, even the grumpy Michael, although he’d become convinced she was a secret nymphomaniac, or maybe a dominatrix.
“That whole “angel in a Playmate’s body” was invented by Hef. You can’t tell me she doesn’t know she’s got a bunch of dicks pointing at her like dowsing rods.”
“Maybe she’s not that used to attention from guys.”
“Bullshit! Look at her!”
“She spent her whole life in an all girl school.”
“Exactly!”
“Oh, relax. It’s been nine months. If she was wild, it would’ve showed by now.”
Michael had remained unconvinced, muttering darkly, “I got a bad feeling about this.”
But it was Cade who got feelings about people, and his sense was telling him that Celine was just as sweet and unaffected as she seemed.
She ended up going with the blue dress. It was already pushing four o’clock when they climbed into the car to head for home.
“Wait!”
“What is it?”
“Lingerie! I need lingerie.”
In the backseat, Felipe groaned.
“Oh, wait – I’m sorry. No, he’s right – I can’t drag y’all anywhere else.”
“No, it’s all right,” Cade sighed, throwing Felipe a sympathetic glance. “Tell you what. Solange is the store you want, and it’s across the street from a café I like. You get what you need and we’ll have a beer while we wait for you. And what the hell. Dinner’s on me.”
The youngsters agreed enthusiastically.
Cade and Felipe got a table in the cafe, the younger wolf fiddling with his beer bottle and trying to act like he wasn’t nervous as hell, sharing a drink alone with his Alpha. How old was he, anyway? Nineteen, twenty? Younger than Celine, at any rate.
“So,” Cade began, and the pup sat up straighter. “You’re sure nothing’s going on with you two?”
“Positive. I haven’t laid a finger on her.”
“Maybe she’s wishing you would. The way she was working it back there, I dunno. She knew we were paying attention.”
“You don’t think she was doing that for you?”
“No,” Cade grinned ruefully. “She still calls me ‘sir’ most of the time.”
“Well, she wasn’t doing it for me. I don’t get girls like that.” He grimaced when he saw Cade’s raised eyebrow. “You know what I mean. I mean – no, you probably don’t. It’s just-- shit. Never mind. I just mean, there’s a lot of guys in the pack she’d go for before me.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re good looking, and you’re smarter than a bunch of the alphas.”
Felipe beamed in the glow of his Alpha’s praise. Feeling like a bit of an asshole, Cade continued, “Course, even if she does have a thing for you – she’s still off limits.”
The pup’s shoulders slumped.
“Sorry, kid. It’s the way it’s gotta be. One female and a lot of wolves – that’s dangerous.”
“I know,” he sighed. “Hey, Cade? There’s something we were wondering about.”
“What’s that?”
Felipe looked around before lowering his voice. “Why doesn’t she ever bleed? Is there something wrong with her?”
He hid his grin as he answered, “No. She’s on a birth control pill that keeps her from having periods.”
“Ah!” the pup breathed. “I didn’t know they made those.”
“Yep. Michael told her it she needed to do it.”
“Huh. It’s weird to think about Michael talking like that with a female.”
Cade was about to reply when Celine appeared at the table, a tiny pink shopping bag in her hand. He got up to pull a chair out for her and she smiled gratefully.
“Whew! Thank you – I’m beat. And thanks for telling me about Solange! They were having a huge sale and I got a beautiful silk bikini thong and a camisole, cause I don’t think I can wear a bra under that dress, you know? It’s pretty tight. In fact I think I’m just gonna have a salad I can’t afford to gain an ounce before the wedding is that the menu over there? Thanks where’s the waitress?”
Once they’d ordered, Celine picked up the conversational reins again and rode away. Cade read the paper as she babbled on to Felipe.
But then, sometime later: “Cade, my girlfriend Annie says her father knows you.”
He didn’t look up. “Mmm. Fremont’s a pretty small town.”
“Oh, they don’t live here anymore. I mean, Annie does, but she just moved here cause she wanted to get out of New York and her mom’s always talked about how beautiful Fremont is. Annie’s a real outdoorsy girl and she’s guiding river raft tours. No, see, her dad’s a werewolf and he says he grew up with you.”
That got his attention. Putting the paper down, he stared at the girl. “Really. That’s-- that’s um, interesting.” Felipe and Celine stared at him, waiting for him to go on, but he was stuck for a minute. Just as they were starting to look alarmed, he shook himself with a smile. “So, um, what’s her dad’s name?”
“Martin. Martin Humphries. You remember him?”
“Of course I do. Yeah. Yeah, we were both born in the pack. Grew up together.” He slammed the little door in his head before the flood of memories could overwhelm him.
“Really?” asked Celine, her soft blue eyes fixed firmly on him. “I didn’t know there were any other older guys in the pack. I mean, you know – middle aged. At least, I’ve never seen any.” She took a dainty bite of her salad, oblivious to the unsettling effect her words had had on him.
“Oh. Well, that’s because there aren’t any, cept for me and Michael. Some of ‘em are in their thirties, but-- yeah, we’re the oldest. This isn’t the same pack I was born in. All the wolves from my dad’s pack left Colorado a long time ago.”
“Oh. Huh. So your dad was a Pack Alpha too?”
“Yep.” He picked up the paper and pretended to read coverage of last night’s Avalanche game.
“So where’d all those wolves go? Why’d they leave?”
“Celine!” Felipe hissed.
“What? Oh! I’m sorry – God, I’m so sorry. That’s totally none of my business, is it?”
“It’s all right. It’s just a really long story, is all. Happened before you were born.”
He felt a pressure on his arm, and looked down to see her hand there.
“Cade? Are you okay? I’m sorry if I said something to upset you.”
Hot waves of mortified embarrassment were rolling across the table from Felipe. Cade patted Celine’s hand, then folded the newspaper.
“Don’t worry about it – seriously. Now, let’s pay the check and get going. I told Sindri we’d be home before dark and we’re not gonna make it.”
****
The next couple weeks were just so normal; looking back on them, Cade couldn’t pinpoint anything remotely weird. He and Celine talked more, certainly, but there was more to talk about – Becca was teething and starting to crawl. She was babbling nonstop (like her nanny) and showing signs of turning into a real person. Celine somehow convinced him to do a Daddy and Baby class at the Bounce House. He felt silly as hell – and he wasn’t the only one – but Becca ate it up. Her obvious joy made it worth the potentially devastating humiliation if any other Pack Alphas ever learned of it.
For months afterward, when he went back over those events in his mind, trying to spot any signals of the impending debacle he might have missed, any indication he did something to cause it, he came up empty. He was tempted to think fatherhood had somehow shorted out his sixth sense – but he was still able to read everybody else with his usual accuracy.
Just not Celine.
It was a beautiful day, still technically winter, the air clear and chilly but unmistakable signs of spring popping up everywhere. They cleaned out the big stone fire pit in the grassy center of the compound and threw an impromptu barbeque. Pack members who lived in town came up, and those who had regular girlfriends brought them. Celine loved hanging out with the females, who all cooed and fussed over Becca. Cade saw her drinking wine, but she didn’t show any signs of being drunk. As the evening wore on, and couples began to drift away, she excused herself to put Becca down and turn in herself.
Some of the wolves had gotten furry and gone running, others adjourned to the woodshop, where a poker game would probably break out. He lay in the grass a while with his eyes closed, enjoying the sharp night air rippling over his skin, listening to the comforting howls of his wolves, and thinking about his family, and Becca, and life. He was blessed, no doubt about it.
He was also tired, so he told everyone good night and went inside. The house was silent, Sindri long since retired to his lair beneath the kitchen, Celine and Becca asleep upstairs. Cade and Michael were the only two wolves who lived in the main house, and Michael was still outside in the circle with the guys.
Cade didn’t remember closing his bedroom door. When he opened it, the sight that greeted him made him think, initially, that he’d interrupted someone’s tryst. Maybe they’d figured he would stay out later.
So first he looked around for one of his wolves hiding somewhere. When he realized there was no one there but the two of them, he cleared his throat and said, “Celine. Why are you in my bed, and where are your clothes?”
****
Michael lounged on the porch of the wood shop, enjoying a rare and well-earned smoke and watching Roman dowse the last embers in the fire pit. Inside the woodshop a poker game was starting. Someone cranked up Lyle Lovett, and way too many of them started to sing along.
Werewolves in Love 1.5: The Nanny Years Page 2